Product Description

Dean Karnazes has run 350 miles through 3 sleepless nights, ordered pizza during long runs and inspired fans the world over with his adventures. So what does such a man do when he wants the ultimate test of endurance? He runs 50 marathons, in 50 states - in 50 consecutive days. Armed with a road map, a caravan of fellow runners and a dedicated crew, Dean set off on a tour that took him through a volcanic canyon in Maui in high-humidity, 88-degree heat; to an elevation gain of almost 4,000 feet at the Tecumseh Trail Marathon in Indiana to a severed moose leg found alongside a trail in Alaska that compelled him to sprint for safety. Dean shares the secrets of how he pulled off this amazing feat with a determination that defied physical limitations. Tips that kept Dean going during the 1,310 miles he covered include how to recover more quickly, adapt to extreme conditions, prevent muscle cramps and overheating, pace yourself when you hit the wall and stay motivated. Complete with training regimens and packed with practical advice, 50/50 will inspire you no matter what your current fitness goal, whether it be walking around the block or completing an Ironman

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12479 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

About the Author
Karnazes has been called an "Ultrarunning legend" by Men's Journal, and 'One of the sexiest men in sports' by Sports Ill. for Women. He won the 2004 Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley. He's the author of ULTRAMARATHON MAN, a columnist for Men's Health.

Customer Reviews

It's no Ultramarathon man
I read Ultramarathon man a a year or so back and loved it. When this came out I was expecting more of the same but unfortunately something very key had changed...Dean had gained corporate sponsorship.

The book is still a good read but the product placement at times is shameful and I found myself getting more and more annoyed by it as the book went on. One chapter towards the end is devoted almost entirely to the exact make of shoe he wore and how they made it (and how far ahead of thier competitors they are...sigh!). I really like the guy and think what he's achieved is phenomenal but it's a real shame that he's now clearly under the thumb of a large corporate sponsor.

Still, like I say, an interesting read and an incredible feat of human endurance. 3/5.

50/50
Likely you saw Dean Karnazes on the news promoting his 50 marathons in 50 days. I remember watching him thinking "is this guy crazy?" For the majority of us, completing even one marathon would be a lifelong goal achieved. Here this guy is looking to do not one or two runs in a season but 50 without even a day of rest. Like many people, I wondered why this person would even trey such a feat. In fact, was it even possible?

So when I got a chance to review 50/50, I jumped at the chance. By some standards, Dean Karnazes is a little abnormal. I say so, mostly because of his ability to endure 50 days of traveling, running a marathon, being interviewed, and then traveling again before getting only a few hours sleep. Just keeping the body going at that pace would be difficult enough. Add in some jet lag, a cold, and a scary fall. It's pretty amazing.

What I liked most about this story is that this man seemed like a real person. He's definitely more athletic and driven than most people but all of us have the ability to make better choices and push ourselves just a bit more than we thought possible. Absolutely inspiring.

Far from average
I didn't enjoy this book as much as Ultramarathon Man, but it's still a good read. This book is about the Endurance 50, when Dean Karnazes took on 50 marathons in 50 states over 50 days. Unlike Dean's first book, this is probably 50% sports auto-biography and 50% running guide with tips on topics like nutrition, training regimes, shoe selection and stretching. The inclusion of so much advice seems a bit odd, but presumably these are the sorts of things that Dean gets asked about on a regular basis.

Dean starts the book by telling us that he is just an ordinary man with no superpowers or amazing genetic make-up. I don't know how he figures that unless the fact that he hangs out with so many other ultramarathon runners has severely skewed his perspective. He ran the 50 consecutive marathons on an average of 4.5 hours sleep a night, with a headcold and severe blisters - and he had no ill effects whatsoever. Although he claims that he wrote the book to explain how he did this, I have to admit that I finished it none the wiser. The man is amazing.

Having said that I was very interested in the sections of the book where he talks about the techniques he uses to motivate himself when he doesn't feel like running or the ways that he finds the strength to keep running when he feels like he can't manage another step.

And get this: when Dean finishes his 50th run in New York, he realises that no one has booked a flight home for him to California. So he loads his gear into a baby stroller and starts running. He sleeps in parks and eats on the go, ending up in Missouri several weeks and some 1500 miles later. Then in true Forrest Gump style, he stops abruptly and decides that he misses his family and its time to go home. (All I could think when I was reading this is "your poor wife - she's been managing the family on her own for weeks and you're not going home to help out?!") The man is most definitely not average - but that's what makes his books so fascinating. I can't wait to see what he gets up to next.